Apparatus for establishing fish habitats



May 19,'1942.' B; M. 'ruxHoRN APPARATUS FORAESTABLISHING FISH lHABITATS Filed oct. 25, 19:59

wx W. u 6 0x1. .l 2 2 2 ATTORN EY Patented May 19, 1942 APPARATUS Fon l STABLISH-ING FISH HAB TATS Blaine MI. Tuxhorn, Kansas City, Mo. Apptiaton October l25, 1939, Serial No. 301,223 v 4 claims. flor. 11e-s) This invention relates to anv apparatus for establishing lish habitats, suchas aquatic gardens, to promote the care, protection a-nd lpropagation of fish in lakes, streams, and Vthe like, having widely uctuating water-levels. lFor example, the Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri Ais a most favorable site for aquatic sports suchv as shing, and the lake has, therefore, been vstocked with greatfnumbers of fish, but these fish have not thrived and propagated Vas was expected for the reason that the water-level of the lake fluctuates to such an extent that it is impossible for aquatic vegetation to grow along the banks thereof, with the result that the fish do not obtain the foods necessary' for habitation, or the coverage and protection essential for promoting propagation of young sh.

Variation in the water-level is brought about through wide variation in rainfall in the watersheds supplying the lake, and the rateat Vwhich the water is drawn down in operating the electri-` cal generators of the'power station for which the lake was constructed. During the rainy season of the year, which usually covers the spawning period, the water-level is kept high in order to supply the power station with sufficient water to last through the dry seasons and "to avoid floods below the down-river 'side of the dam. Consequently the lake extends out into the shallow arms and creeks and the sh deposit their eggs on the grasses, shrubs, and similar'vegetation. To avoid oods inthe lakeregionythe water is drawn down through opening of. the ood gates at the dam, with the result that fthe deposited eggs are destroyed through exposure incidental to the receding water-level.

In dry seasons the water reoedes below the level at which aquatic Vegetation may have started to grow lwhen the water was high, leaving' the plants to dry up and die. If the arid season preponderates and the rainfall is light, the water is used faster than the lake can ll so that the banks of the lake are entirely free of vegetation along the water-line which is necessary nhsupplying food, cover, and protection for the s Y This seasonal uctuation in water-levelmay be as much as twenty feet, and during intermediate periods the water-level is fluctuating constantly to as much as two or ve feet. It is thus obvious that constant drying and ooding of thel banks cannot accommodate growth of aquatic plants and it is necessary to provide some form -of conservatory and propagatory means for the sh.

present invention 'to provide an apparatus adapt` ed to float with the rise and 'fall of the water,A

and in which the aquatic plants are grown for the habitation and conservation of sh, frogs,

and wateranimals. y y

Other objects of the invention `are to provide.

an apparatus of thi-s2 character which is not hazardous to boats inv navigable lakes and streams; to provide floating apparatus'adapted to be maintained in submerged conditional; any

selective depth best suited to the particular form of water-plants carried thereby; and to provide a simple and inexpensive apparatus which may be made of materials readily available lat the site.` A f In accomplishing' these and-other objects of the Y invention, as hereinafter .pointed out, I, have provided-improved details of structure, the :pref

ferred form' of which is illustrated in the aecompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a submerged raft for containing soil, rocks and'gravelnecessary to the growth of aquatic plants and' proof the small fish.

Fig. 2`is an end elevational view thereof. Y

Fig. Sis a' plan view. of one endl thereof. Y s

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal vsection on the lineV 4-4 of Fig. 3. q

Fig. 5 is a cross-section'on the line v5 5 ofv Y Fig. 3.A

Referring more in detail tothe drawing:V

l` designates a submergible floatingraft-like structure adapted for the support of soil, rocks, and materials necessary for the growth of aquatic'plants necessary in the' habitation, protection and conservation of nsh in' bodies of water having Widely varying levels, and which includes a frame 2 formed of longitudinal sills Vsuch as poles or beams 3, 4 and 5, preferably of fioatable material and having their ends connected Y by rails 6-1 divergingvfrom the side sills 3 and 5 toward the central sillill and connected therewith by any suitable fasteningfmeans, such as nails, bolts, thongs or the like. The vsills 3,- 4

and 5 may also be connected at points spaced l inwardly from their endsV by transverse poles or beams l8 to provide a platform on which is mounted a iooringy 9, consisting 'ofi planks' I0 laid transversely of the longitudinalv sills 'and securedV thereto by suitable fastening means 'such as nails or the like.

Secured on the marginal edges of thev 'platform Il? iS, therefOle, the principal( object of the are side and end members lll .and l2, cooperating with the flooring in forming an open top container adapted to carry soil, rock, gravel, or similar material I3 in which the aquatic plants designated I4 may be planted and caused to grow. The raft structure is buoyed suiciently so that itsubstantially balances in the water by means of air tanks I5 secured under the platform and preferably arranged along the longitudinal sills 3 and 5, as clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

With the raft-like structure thus balanced it may be readily maintained at any desired level below the surface of the Water by means of buoys, which in the illustrated instance comprise tanks sun's rays from penetrating the water to supply the aquatic plants with light.

From the foregoingl it is obvious that I have provided a simple and inexpensive apparatus which is adapted to maintain the necessary aquatic gardens required for the habitation, conservation or propagation of fish, so that streams,

lakes, and the like, having widely fluctuating I6-I l and I8-I 9 arranged at the respective ends of the raft and offset laterally from the bed of material I3, the tanks at the respective ends being secured together by rails and 2| supported on the tops thereof and which are secured by bands 22 extending around the tanks andV attached to the rails. The rails are also connected by cross members 23 located in registry with the ends of the side sills, to mount threaded 'shafts 24 having their upper ends journalled Vwithin suitable bearings 25 in the members 23 and their lower ends engaged in threaded bushings z'xed Within thev longitudinal sills. The upper ends of the shafts terminate in cranks 2l whereby the shafts may be rotated to raise and lower the floating tanks in respect to the raft Y In order to maintain the raft in submerged condition, the floating tanks are each partially iilledwith water through a valve 28 connected with the lower portion of the tank. The valves 28 are operated by stems 29, which extend above the water and are provided with hand-wheels30.

water-levels soon become good fishing places for Sportsmen. What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Apparatus for promoting conservation of fish in a body of water having varying levels including, a substantially raft-like platform, material supported on said platform for growing aquatic plants, said raft-like platform and materials being of sufficient weight to sink below the surface of the water, buoys offset laterally The upper portions of the tanks are provided with valve vconnections 3| by which water may be pumped from the tanks to prevent submergence of the raft below the desired'level, asin posts or guards 32, which project above the wa' ter-level and are painted, together with the up` per portions of the buoys, so that they are read ily observable. Either one, or both, of the vends of the raft maybe anchored in Vposition by cables 33 attached to the ends of the center sill and to anchors 34 resting upon or buried in the bottom of the lake. The parts of the raftmay be treated with water-proofing materials to avoid water-logging so that the raft'is kept at a constant depth as set by the buoys.

In using the invention, rafts of the character describedv may be anchored at various points along the marginal edges of the lake so that they risev and fall with the level of the water. The aquatic plants, being kept 'at the desired depth, multiply and provide the necessary food, protection for the small fish, and places for deposit'of eggs so that the fish soon multiply and keep the lake in stocked condition. vvIf desired, the soil' maybe'mounded upon the raft so that portions thereof are slightly .below the water-level.

ofthe bounds of said bed of material and adapted to float on the surface of the water, and means suspendedly connecting said buoys with the raft-like platform to support said raft-like platform a predetermined distance below the surface of the water.

2. Apparatus for promoting conservation of fish in a body of water having varying levels including, a substantially raft-likel platform, material supported on said-platform for growing aquatic plants, said raft-like platform and materials .being of sufficient weight to sink below the surface of the water, buoys adapted to float on the surface of the water, said raft-like platform having portions projecting beyond the bed of material, and means suspendedly connecting said buoys with said projecting portions of the raftlike platform to support said raft-like platform a predetermined distance below the surface of the water, said connecting means being adjustable to vary said predetermined depth in accordance with the height of the aquatic plants growing in said materials.

3. Apparatus for promoting conservation of sh in a body of Water having variable levels including, a raft-like support, a bed of materials for growing aquatic plants carried on the raftlike support,l said .bed of materials and raft-like support being sinkable' in the water,v buoyant means connected withthe raft-like support for substantially carrying said raft-like support submerged in the water, floats offset laterally from the bounds ofthe bed of materials and adapted to float upon the surface of the water out of the Way of the aquatic plants, and means connectedly suspending the raft-like supportrfrom said oats, said connecting means being adjustable for selectively varying submergence of said raft-like support.

4. Apparatus for promoting conservation of v fish in a body of water having'variable levels in- Therefore aquatic plants may be set at the depth they grow best and an-assortment of plants havingy different characteristics may be planted in the same raft. .The moundsalsoprovide depositories for the eggs of types of fish which deposit their eggs on 4soil close to the water-level. At` tention is directed to the fact that the buoys are so located that they do not interfere with growth cluding, a frame, a platform carried on the frame, a bed of material on the platform for growing aquatic plants, said4 bed of material,

platform and frame being of sufcient weight to of the aquatic plants, nor do they exclude the 

